A Dismal European Exit For Munster

Leinster are left as the only Irish club still standing in the European Champions Cup, after Munster followed Ulster through the humiliating early departure lounge. Meanwhile, Connacht threw away a half-time lead at home to Exeter and now their hopes of progressing to the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup are in the balance.

Nobody expected the men from Munster to have an easy time on their excursion to Saracens, but to be blown away by a Billy Vunipola-inspired home team was certainly a painful dose of reality. For this proud province to be ejected from Europe's premier rugby club competition, with one week to spare, will be a big blow to morale. The southern giants will have to lick their wounds and come back strong in the closing weeks of the Pro12 in order to compensate for their European failings.

The same applies to Ulster. Admittedly the northerners rested Best and Bowe for the formidable trip to Toulon, but it will have been a chastening experience to concede sixty points in a match for the first time in a very long time. To their credit, the white knights did reply with four tries of their own, but the contest had long since been done and dusted.

Finally, Leinster were rampant at home to hapless Castres. It was good to see Jamie Heaslip back in the fold. However, the blues will have to be at their very best next Saturday for a crunch visit to Wasps. A defeat there could leave Ireland without representation in the last eight of the Champions Cup, which would represent a shock to the system. Mind you, the Irish provinces have been none too hot in the Pro12 thus far, as they have been steadily trailing behind the frontrunners of Glasgow and the Ospreys.

Isn't it the mother of all paradoxes that whilst the three major Irish clubs were dominating the European stage over the last dozen years, Declan Kidney largely failed to bring out the best in the great players at his disposal, yet now that the Irish provinces have been struggling [by their very own high standards], Joe Schmidt is tipped to bring out the best in his under-achieving players and deliver glory to the Emerald Isle? Suddenly we have a strong national team, in spite of setbacks at provincial level. How weird is that?

The results were as follows:

European Rugby Champions Cup

LEINSTER 50 Castres 8

LEINSTER try-scorers: Kearney, Moore, Reddan, Cronin, Furlong, Fanning, McGrath

LEINSTER earn four points, plus one bonus point for scoring at least four tries.

Saracens 33 MUNSTER 10

MUNSTER try-scorer: Hurley 

MUNSTER failed to earn any points.

Toulon 60 ULSTER 22

ULSTER try-scorers: Jackson, McComish (2) Payne

ULSTER receive one bonus point for scoring at least four tries.

European Rugby Challenge Cup

CONNACHT 24 Exeter 33

CONNACHT try-scorers: Healy (2), Faloon, Poolman

CONNACHT receive one bonus point for scoring at least four tries.